Volkswagen Polo Plus was recently unveiled at the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show. The car is slightly different from the sixth-gen international-spec model as the brand has reduced the overall length for China. The positive changes are seen through the sporty character while on the downside, the premium Euro-spec equipment has been given a miss from the new car. Polo Plus is exactly 11mm down in width from the international-spec model. The earlier version on sale in India and China falls under the 4-meter bracket, making the Polo Plus truly an upgrade for the Asian market.
The car measures 4053mm in length, 1740mm in width and 1449mm in height. The wheelbase is very impressive at 2564mm. The car comes with a dual-tone Yellow/Black finish, complemented by the massive 16-inch alloy wheels and LED lights at the rear end. The rear bumper is studded with faux twin exhausts while the 17-inch wheels and LED headlights from the international-spec model goes missing from the package. The Yellow exterior finish moves forward to the inner side, with Volkswagen offering matching highlights on important parts like doors, console and the dashboard.
The car from the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show is available with a touchscreen infotainment system, sunroof, ESP, rear parking camera and much more. The automatic climate control went missing from the package. Volkswagen Polo Plus for China comes with the same 1.5L petrol engine as the regular car, using 5-speed manual and 6-speed automatic gearbox.
VW Polo is a poor performer for the Indian market as they have already downsized the engine from 1.2L, 4-cylinder unit to a puny 1.0L, 3-cylinder engine. The new variant with updated design lines and engine lineup could rival the Maruti Baleno and Hyundai i20 Elite in a better way in India. Updating the design will not even raise the cost by such a large margin as the Euro-spec model.
